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This explains why Counterpart, the new Starz series, will be airing on TMN and not Super Channel. Also, I think this deal will spell the end of Super Channel, seeing as how they currently air most of Starz original series. It appears as though their agreement with Starz ends next year which is why Bell will not be re-branding TMN Encore until 2019.

Interesting tidbit I noticed in the press release:

Bell Media has signed a multi-year content deal with Starz, the No. 2-ranked premium paid U.S. television platform.

I thought Showtime was #2 (after HBO) but according to the stats Starz IS the #2 premium service. HBO is first with 49 million subs, followed by Starz with 29 million and Showtime is third with 27 million. I find it quite surprising that Starz is available in more homes then Showtime, considering that Showtime produces more original content then Starz?!

So Bell has HBO/Showtime and now Starz I guess the good news for Canadians is we will get all the shows but the bad news is one company owning all 3 in Canada.

Bell convinced the CRTC to replace TMN's licence from "half of Canada" to national, then succeeded in convincing Corus to shutdown Movie Central & Encore Ave on March 1st, 2016. For its latest licence renewal, Bell asked the CRTC for TMN + "Mpix" to merge into 1 single licence... Dunno if it's been approved yet or not, but some service providers like Videotron offers TMN Encore in their Pick 10-20-30 packages at no additional charge due to its low cost for a PayTV licence (same as DHX's Family), so I guess TMN Encore becoming Starz in "early 2019" instead of in 2-3 months means Starz will be part of the main TMN package and there are some administrative details to fix first. Oh, and expect a monthly price increase too !

SuperChannel won't have an issue with that much. They are already using others source of programming, Epix, Audience Network, etc and internationnal shows from the UK for example. They already only had a few Starz series.

By the way this should go into Premium channels, but anyway, since TMN Encore has 2 channels, maybe they will keep one as Encore?

I figure with two channels, that will probably mean Eastern and Western feeds for STARZ - in the same manner that they already have it arranged with HBO Canada.

You’d think by now that this was already being done with Showtime. Perhaps TMN will use one of their three current multiplex channels to do this in the near future. But for now, Bell Media is using CraveTV for premiering Showtime originals.

Having said that, TMN Encore’s original mandate has been running classic movies. But now, there are other players in that genre such as Hollywood Suite with its four commercial-free channels (each one devoted to a decade from the 1970s to the 2000s), AMC and Rewind just to name a few. Bell Media figured that they could capitalize on the popular brands in the premium market for which they already have bragging rights (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax) while looking to expand their portfolio with another popular brand in STARZ, likely attributed to the financial problems with Super Channel and the rights to their programming due up for renewal.

Honestly, I have no interest in TMN, HBO or Starz via traditional linear cable TV packages. I'm not paying $20+ a month for TMN on top of a regular cable package. This deal would have been great 10 years ago but I doubt it will move the needle with TMN subscriptions in the right direction. I suppose it's a leg up for CraveTV but CraveTV's interface is sub par compared to other established streaming services. Over-the-air TV, Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Game Centre Live is good enough for me.

TORONTO (February 7, 2019) – Bell Media and STARZ announced today the launch of a new STARZ channel and streaming service in Canada beginning Friday, March 1. STARZ, the United States’ second most-watched pay television service, delivers immersive, premium content, including critical favourites VIDA and COUNTERPART, and the hit drama SWEETBITTER. The announcement comes as Crave confirms its subscriber base has grown to 2.3 million.

I like Sweetbitter, but Starz and other major channel content is too easy to get for free from the pirate streaming/downloading sites (and I've still never used torrents), so I have no need for Starz or even Crave, and instead always look for content or channels that are not easily obtained via free VOD streaming or free download (and then I often subscribe to those channels, as part of a package, for a few months at a time).

I also still pay for the Rogers Starter package (my OTA isn't as reliable as it used to be), but I think I'm going to dump it this month. I like the superior HD quality, but the online channel/content quality is usually close enough.

And now that the American online streaming services have online cloud DVR capability without the need of a USA set-top box (at least for now), I don't mind paying for US channels/content, even though I can still stream most of them live for free (if I'm home when the content airs, or is available as free VOD).

However, as American prices rise (and the exchange rate remains terrible), and some channels are removed entirely from my favourite services (due to contract squabbles) or soon moved to premium set-top box IPTV American systems (that I'll have no access to as a Canadian), I know I'll eventually cancel everything and go back to the days of mostly just trying to watch the stuff that I already have, but haven't had time to watch, or want to watch again.

Well for now I think that Starz, if you have Encore with any providers now, is not going to change price. Unless they haven't announced it yet, but that $6 is for those buying it as a stand alone or directly with Crave I think.